Musical instrument and keyboard therefor



Oct. 26, 1937. N. c. HOUSE 2,097,280

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND KEYBOARD THEREFOR Filed May 6, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND KEYBOARD THEREFOR 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to musical instruments and is particularly applicable to musical instruments such as the piancforte and organ which are provided with keyboards comprising keys which are actuated to operate instrumentalities for producing tones of predetermined pitch.

The keyboards of musical instruments now in general use are based upon the duodecuple scale.

In this scale the octave is divided into twelve distinct half-tone intervals in which the ratio of the frequency of each note to that of the next note below it is a constant. Since the octave comprises six whole-tone intervals, each of the 5- notes of the twelve-interval scale differs by approximately one half-tone from the next note either up or down the scale. In enharmonic instruments, that is instruments where each note produced is an approximation of the pitch of 2 more than one note and serves also for the representation of more than one note, the twelveinterval scale must serve for the representation of what has been computed to comprise the sixtysix different sounds needed to give the requisite 35 development to the several major and minor modes, together with their thirds, sixths and sevenths, contained in the octave.

The main object of the invention is to provide musical instruments with means for obtaining 30 an increased range of tonality or better musical expression than can be obtained by instruments now in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a musical instrument with a keyboard :35 and related tone-producing instrumentalities for providing a greater range of tonality than can be obtained by instruments based upon the twelveinterval scale.

Another object of the invention is the provi- 40 sion of a musical instrument in which each musical note as written is produced by a separate sound-producing element.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument constructed in accordance 45 with the principles of the present invention with a keyboard designed to facilitate actuation of the keys in playing the instrument.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved keyboard which may be ap- 50 plied to musical instruments based upon the duodecuple scale.

The above objects of the invention and other objects ancillary thereto will be best understood from the following description considered with 55 reference to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective View of a piano embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the keyboard embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of three companion keys of the keyboard shown in Fig. 2.

According to the present invention, each of the six whole-tone intervals of an octave is divided into intervals of thirds of a tone, thus providing a new octadecuple or eighteen-interval scale for 10 the octave instead of the ducdecuple scale, thereby providing means for more correctly expressing the musical intervals than is possible by the approximate half-tones of the duodecuple scale, and providing further a means for the extension of tonality and harmonic structure beyond the limits of what is now possible with the medium of the duodecuple scale.

If the six whole-tone intervals, (which for convenience we shall name, C, D, E, Ft, Gt and At), of the octave are divided into half-tone intervals, the duodecuple scale thus obtained may be written as follows: Q, Ct or Db, 2, Di; or Eb, g, or F, F15, Fit or G, Gt, or A, and At, At or B, in

which the underlined notations indicate the aforesaid whole-tone intervals. In tempering this scale, each sound will vary from true pitch except unison and the octave.

Upon examining the natural harmonic series, we find that the octave, in which appear those 3 sounds from which were selected the sounds of the six-interval or whole-tone scale, contains ight separate and distinct sounds. The sixinterval scale, then, is an invention for the bal ancing of octaves, which while being of the same omen-the iourth,derive from fundamental tones of different and distinct pitch.

In octaves of the next or fifth order in the natural or harmonic series, there are present sixteen separate and distinct sounds. The twelveinterval scale, then, is an invention for the balancing of the various octaves of the fifth order.

The development of the natural or harmonic intervals from each one of the notes in the twelveinterval scale, each one of these notes being used as a tonic or fundamental note, would result in the production of sounds, the greater number of which would fall either below or above the notes of the duodecuple scale most near to them in frequency. Thus, if for convenience the duodecuple scale is said to consist of the following twelve notes:

C, Ct, D, Dt, E, F, Ft, G, Gt, A, At, B then the natural or harmonic intervals of these notes could be grouped around the following eighteen notes: a c

o, ot, on, 1), nt, Dt+, E, F, F+, Ft, G, G+,

' Gt, A-, A+, At, E 3+ These for purposes of convenience could be named as follows:

c, or, Dir D, Dt, Et+, E, Et, F+, Ft, a, CH,

Gt, A-, A+, At, B, B+. 7

It is evident that'twelve of the sounds of the ,eigh teen-interval scale are appreciably either V eighteen-interval scale from the twelve-interval 1 scale, I havegiven anew nomenclature to the former so that the octadecuple scale will be noted 1 do (or c),

more or less than the nearest corresponding sounds in the duodecuple scale.

For the purpose of differentiating this new as follows:

dodot, rat, 11a, rat, mab, ma, mat, fob, fo, fot, .sab, sa, s at, lob, lo, lo t, dob

It will be observed that this notation differs [in the nomenclature of the notes from that now used for the duodecuple or twelve interval scale, and that in' the octadecuple scale there are six root names i. e, names for notes exclusive of those names formed by the addition of the terms sharp or flat or double sharp or double fiatfl and that in the duodecuple scale there are seven root names as compared 'with six root names in the octadecuple scale. Thus, the root names in the duodecuple scale are: a

re (or D), mi (or E), fa (or F), sol (or G), la (or A), si (01" B);

and the root names in the octadecuple scale are:

do, ra, ma, fo sa, 10

When the eighteen interval scale is tempered so that each of its sounds bears the ratio to each next preceding sound of Of theremaining twelve notes we find the following comparisons in' favor of the useof the :octadecuple scale: dot is much closer to Ct and V rab much closer to Db than either'Ct or Db is to sab (Philosophic Pitch 391.2) is nearer to Gt fla the compromise note of the twelve-interval scale that serves for either Ct or'Db, namely Cit-Db, and similarly rat is closer to Di and mat to Eb" than either of the latteris to D-Eb, and similarly mat is closer'to Pb and fob to E1? (F) than either of the latter is to Fb-Et (F) fot introduces a new note (Philosophic Pitch 376.4) which is closer to G (Philosophic Pitch 383.6) than Gb (Ft) (Philosophic Pitch 362), which latter is very nearly identical with fo (Philosophic Pitch 362.2), and

(Philosophic Pitch 392) than Gt (Ab) (Philosophic Pitch 406.4) which is nearly identical with sa (Philosophic Pitch 406.6) sat introduces a new note (Philosophic Pitch 422.6) which is closer to A (Philosophic Pitch 430.5) than is At (Gt) i (Philosophic Pitch 406.4), andlob (Philosophic 1 Pitch 439.2) is closer to At (Philosophic Pitch 440) than At (Bt) (Philosophic Pitch 456.1) which latteris almostidentical with 10 (Philosophic Pitch 456.5) lot (Philosophic Pitch 474.4)

is closer to 317%; (Philosophic Pitch 472) than B V (Cb) (Philosophic Pitch 483.2), and'dob (Philosophic Pitch 493) is closer to Bi (Philosophic Pitch 496) than Bt (Cb) (Philosophic Pitch 483.2) It will be noted as a measure of the superiority of the eighteen-interval scale that above E in the twelve-interval scale and ma in the eighteen-interval scale, both in the octave of the i fifth order, there are eleven sounds in the harmonic series, of which eleven sounds the twelveinterval scale sup-plies only seven notes, while the eighteen-interval scale supplies an eleven notes and with a degree of accuracy in which the variation is never in excess of 3.8 percent.

A further advantage of the'eighteen-interval scale as compared with the twelve interval scale is the greater flexibility and variety of design for whichit can be utilized. For example, while the twelve-interval scale has a minor third of 2 whole tones, the eighteen-interval scale has what we may call a supra-minor third of 2 wholetones and a sub-minor third of 2 whole tones. While the twelve-interval scalehas only one per 'fect fifth of 4 whole tones, the eighteeninter- .val scale has a supra-fifth of 4% whole tones and a sub-fifth of 4% whole tones; similarly the eighteen-interval scale has twodifferent major concords and four different minor concords, respectively two and four times as many as has the twelve-interval scale. Further study will serve to supply'additional evidence of the extension of tonal variety inherent in the octadecuple scale.

In the drawing, the invention is illustrated as" applied to a piano but it will be understood that itmay be applied to other'rnusical instruments.

As here shown, the piano comprises a cabinet ill within which there are disposed the usual or conventional tone-producing instrumentalities including theusual strings and actions operated by the keys of the keyboard. 7 a i V According to the present inventionfthe keyboard IZ comprises an arrangement of keys which is substantially different from "the arrangement of keys in the keyboards now in general use. In

the present keyboard l2, the interval corresponding to the octave consists of six white keys de signated by the reference charactersido,- ra-, ma, fo, sa and 10, which also connote the tones which are produced by the tone producing instrumentalities of the piano when these keys are played,

and twelve blackkeys designated by the reference characters dot, rat, rat, mab mat, fob, t ot,

sab', sat, lob, lot and dob, which alsoconnote the tones which are produced when the keys are played. Thus, the part of' the keyboard corresponding to the interval of an octave consists of eighteen keys and the toneproducing instrumen-v talities actuated When these keys are playedpro duce eighteen different tones and each'tone is an approximate one-third tone or tertiatone, varying from each immediately preceding tone by a ratio equal to The keyboard may compriseas many octaves as are provided for in the piano based on the duodecuple scale. V c The construction of the presentkeyboard isillustrated more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3; As here shown, the keyboard comprises successive groups of three keys, each group consisting of'a white key Iii, a short black key l8,'anda long black key 20, all contained within the width of the white key l6, but raised thereabove. Accordingly, each of the white keys has a cut-out portion 22 within which the black key I8 is positioned and a cut-out portion 24 within which the black key 20 is positioned. It will be noticed that the black key 20 is longer than the black key I8. Thus each group of keys consists of a long key 16, a short key [8, and a key 20 of intermediate length arranged in two levels. This arrangement greatly facilitates the actuation of the keys by the artist in playing the piano or other instrument provided with this keyboard. It will be understood that the width of the reduced portion of the white keys, between the two companion black keys, will be such as to permit the player to strike the white keys at said reduced portion, if he so desires.

The keyboard described herein is only one solution of the problem of creating a tertiatone instrument and there are other forms of keyboard and arrangements of keys, and other stops, such as pedals, windstops, etc., which can be designed to play third-tone intervals. The important feature of this invention is the establishment of the tertiatone scale of eighteen intervals to the octave and a means for playing music based on this scale.

The present keyboard comprises a new arrangement of keys for such instruments as the piano, the organ, the accordion, etc., and while it is particularly useful in connection with instruments based upon the octadecuple scale according to the present invention, said keyboard may also be applied with considerable advantage to musical instruments based upon the duodecuple scale. Thus, the first five white keys, extending from left to right, when viewing Fig. 2, may be utilized to actuate the sound producing elements for producing the notes C, Di, A, C, in order, while the raised keys extending from left to right are in order the keys for actuating the sound producing elements for the notes B, Ct, D, E, F, G, Gt, At, these white and raised keys constitute an octave set of keys and it will be understood that the keyboard of the musical instrument based upon the duodecuple scale may comprise any suitable number of such sets. It will be observed that the keys in the present keyboard are so arranged that the keys at the strings of the octave are closer together than in the keyboards of the prior art constructions and hence can be more conveniently spanned by the fingers of the player which, of course, is a decided advantage over the prior art arrangements. For convenience in distinguishing the initial key ofv each octave, the white key of the present keyboard defining the initial key of each octave set, whether in the instruments of the duodecuple scale or in the instruments of the octadecuple scale, will be marked with a distinguishing characteristic or color preferably the latter. Accordingly, each of said octave defining keys may be grey instead of White.

Thus the embodiment shown and described herein is well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the invention is capable of other specific embodiments and that changes may be made in the present embodiment illustrated herein. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown, except as may be required by the appended claims and the prior art.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is constructed and operated, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a musical instrument, a keyboard comprising successive groups of keys, each group consisting of three keys, one of said keys of each group having a cut-out portion at opposite sides thereof, and one key of said group disposed in each or" said cut-out portions, the combined width of said three keys being substantially equal to the space between said opposite sides.

2. In a musical instrument, a keyboard comprising successive groups of keys, each group consisting of three keys arranged in two levels, one of said keys at one level and the other two keys being of unequal length and at a higher level, said key at the lower level having cut-out portions of unequal length at opposite sides thereof, and the other two keys at the higher level disposed within said cut-out portions.

3. In a musical instrument, a keyboard comprising successive groups of keys, each group consisting of three keys arranged in two levels, one of said keys at one level and the other two keys being of unequal length and at a higher level, said key at the lower level having cut-out portions of unequal length at opposite sides thereof, and the other two keys at the higher level disposed within said cut-out portions, the

combined Width of said three keys being substantially equal to the space between said opposite sides.

NATHAN C. HOUSE. 

